Building slated for Fun Factory sold to new owner

The old International Shoe Company building sits on East Capitol Avenue.
The old International Shoe Company building sits on East Capitol Avenue.

Jefferson City will have to wait a little while longer before it has a "fun factory" open for business.

The ISC Fun Factory was set to open in the 115-year-old building at 1101 E. Capitol Ave. some time this year, but the owners of the building, DeLong Properties, sold it.

Raymond Latocki, owner of Haunting Productions LLC, had been in the works to develop the fun factory in the building and had planned to purchase it from DeLong Properties.

Back in December 2018, the Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a preliminary Planned Unit Development plan to renovate the building.

The 87,000-square-foot property, originally a shoe factory, would have been a one-stop entertainment destination, housing a restaurant, haunted house, mini-golf, ax-throwing, escape rooms and more, along with a residential area of apartments and some office and event space.

Latocki said he was struggling to get funding for the project and was told by several banks that the fun factory was an "unproven market." Then the building owners decided to sell the property.

Latocki said he hopes to find another location for a fun factory in Jefferson City, but for now he is focused on opening and running Shattered Screams Haunted Attraction at Capital Mall, which will celebrate its grand opening Oct. 4.